Car-coupling



No. 607,183. Patented July l2, I898.

.I. 0. MARKS. 7

CAR COUPLING.

(Application filed Feb. 11. 1898.) (N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

uunmummwk WITNESSES [NVENTOR No. 607,183. Patented July l2, I898.

, J. O. MARKS.

CAB COUPLING.

(Application filed Feb. 11, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

I IHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIH b5 WITNESSES INVENTOR W .0, %Q2+ iwawm Attornzy NITE STATES ATENT tries.

JACOB O. MARKS, OF URBANA, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,183, dated July 12,1898

Application filed February 11,1398. Serial No. 669,982. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB O. MARKS, of Urbana, in the county of Champaign and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings, one object of the invention being to so construct a car-coupling that the cars will be brought into comparatively close proximity to each other, whereby to permit a man on one car to operate the coupling by means of devices on another car, and thus facilitate the shifting of cars and rendering easy and safe the making of running switches.

A further object is to so construct a carcoupling that cars on which it is placed shall be in such proximity to each other when coupled as to prevent the possibility of a man falling between them.

A further object is to construct a car-coupling without-the use of a draw-head which can be readily operated from either side or from the top of the car and which can be readily set to couple automatically.

A further object is to produce a car-coupling which shall be simple in construction, which shall comprise but few parts, which shall not be liable to get out of order, which shall be accurate and sure in operation, which shall be capable of sufficient lateral play to permit a train of cars to properly round a curve, and which shall be effectual in all respects in the performance of its functions.

WViththese objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of portions of two cars, showing the application of myimprovemen ts thereto. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 3 is an'end view. Fig. 4 is a sectional view.

A represents a car, B the endsill thereof, and G O thedraft-timbers. Metal plates 1 1 are secured to the draft-timbers, and at their forward ends are provided with elongated bearings 2 for the accommodation of a transverse shaft 3, the ends of which project laterally beyond said bearings. A sleeve 4: is secured to the shaft 3 between the bearings 2 by means of a pin or set-screw 5 or in any other suitable manner. A link 6 is made integral with the sleeve 4 and is adapted to normally depend therefrom, so as to maintain an arm 7 at the opposite side of said sleeve in an upright position. The free end of the arm 7 is adapted to bear against an abutment 8, secured to the rear face of the end sill B and preferably having arms 9, which are securely bolted to the draft-timbers.

The rear ends of the metal plates 1, hereinbefore referred to, are provided with depending ears 10, against which the rear ends of rods 11 are adapted to bear, said rods being loosely connected with the shaft 3 in proximity to its ends and adapted to pass loosely through guides 12, secured to the plates 1. A coiled spring 14 is disposed on each rod 11 and bear at their respective ends against the lugs or ears 10 and guides 12. The springs 14 tend to normally maintain the shaft 3 at the rear ends of its elongated bearings; but when two cars are coupled together the pull on the couplings will be cushioned by means of the springs, and the play of the shaft 3 in its elongated bearings will permit ample lat eral movement of the coupling when the cars are running on curves.

The shaft 3 is provided at its respective ends with crank-arms 16 17. A handle 18 is securedto the crank-arm 16, whereby to permit' the shaft to be turned by a man standing on the ground, and to the free end of the crank-arm 17 one end of a rod 19 is loosely attached. The rod 19 is adapted to extend to the top of the car, where it is provided with a suitable loop or handle 20. The rod is properly guided through a suitable guide 21, secured to the side of the car, and the rod is provided'at a suitable point with a shoulder 22 to engage said guide, whereby to retain the link in proper position for coupling.

Each end sill of the car is provided, to one side of the center thereof, with a socket 22 for the reception of a spring-buffer 23.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: Assuming that it is desired to couple two cars and that the links 6 of both couplings are in their normal depending positions, the operator will turn the shaft 3 of one of the couplings, so as to cause the link to assume a horizontal position. This may be done by means of either of the crank-arms on the shaft with the operator standing on the ground, or it may be done by operating the rod 19 from the top of the car. hen the link shall have been made to assume its proper horizontal position for coupling, it will be retained in such position by the engagement of the shoulder 22 011 the rod 19 with the guide 21 on the car. The link of the coupling on the other car will be permitted to remain in its normal depending position. The cars will now be run together, and the horizontally-disposed link will enter the space 24 between the sleeve 4 and the sill of the other car, being guided through this space by a beveled plate 25, secured to the sill. On entering the space 24: the horizontally-disposed link will engage the arm 7, projecting therethrough, and ride past it, said arm 7 being then permitted to assume its normal position projecting through the horizontally-disposed line and engaging the abutmentplate on the end sill. The two cars will then be coupled together, and the pull of the link of one coupling will be upon the arm 7 of the other coupling, said arm 7 bearing against the end sill and causing the pulling strain to come upon said end sill (or, more properly speaking, the abutment-plate secured to said sill) and on the draft-timbers, to which said abutmentplate is also secured. The pulling strain will be cushioned, as above explained, by means ofthe springs 14, and said springs will take up a portion of said strain until the shafts of the couplings reach the forward ends of their elongated bearings, when all the strain will be then brought directly on the sill and draft-timbers.

It is apparent that when the cars are running on a curve one end of the shaft of each coupling will move to one end of its bearing and the other end of said shaft will move to the opposite end of its elongated bearing, and thus the couplings will be permitted to have suflicient pivotal movement laterally to permit the cars to properly round the curve. The links 6 are made comparatively shortsay about eighteen inches in length-so that when two cars are coupled they will be quite close together, allowing only sufficient space to permit the cars to assume a proper relation relatively to each other in running on a curve. By thus coupling the cars closely together two important results are accomplished-viz., it will be impossible for the operator standing on the car to fall between the cars, there being only about twelve inches between the cars, as about three inches at each end of the link will project under the sills-and, again, by coupling the cars closely together a man can stand on one car and release the coupling by operating the rod 19 on the next car, whereby to move the arm 7 of the coupling on that car out of the coupling-link. Running switches can thus be readily made safely, as the trainman can stand on a car of the main train and release the end car or cars.

The cars being coupled closely together, one butter on each car will be sufficient, as the bulfer on one car will readily reach the sill of the next car, and by arranging the bu llers at one side of the center of the sill two buffers will be provided between each two cars, and by arranging these spring-buffers in the end sills they will be supported substantially where they are most needed, and the space below the sill usually occupied by buifers will be saved.

It will be observed that with my improved coupling I dispense entirely with draw-bars and draw-heads and attach the couplings directly to the draft-timbers and so arrange them that all the pulling strain will come upon said draft-timbers and the end sill of the car.

It is apparent that my improved coupling can be readily attached to any car without the necessity of changing the construction of the car in any respect, the couplings being merely secured to the draft-timbers in the manner herein explained.

My improvements are simple in construction and are effectual in all respects in the performance of their functions.

Slight changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details herein set forth.

Having fully described my inventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the draft-timbers of a car, of a link pivotally attached directly thereto and an arm projecting from said link and adapted to engage the end sill of the car, wherebyto receive a link projecting from another car, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the d raft-timbers and end sill of a car, of a link pivotally attached directly to said draft-timbers, an arm projecting from said link and adapted to pass through a link on another car, and an abut- 1nent-plate secured to the end sill and drafttimbers and adapted to be engaged by said arm on the link, substantially as set forth.

The combination with the end sill and draft-timbers of a car, of a link having a pivotal and sliding connection with the drafttimbers, and an arm projecting from the link and adapted to engage the rear face of the end sill of the car, substantially as set forth. 4. The combination with the end sill and draft-timbers of a car, 'of elongated bearings secured to said draft-timbers, ashaft mounted in said bearings, a link secured to said shaft, yielding connections between the ends of said shaft and the draft-timbers and an arm proj ecting from the link and adapted to engage the rear face of the end sill of the car, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the draft-timbers and end sill of a car, of elongated bearings secured to the draft-timbers, a shaft mounted in said elongated bearings, a link secured to said shaft, an arm projecting from the link and adapted to engage the rear face of the end sill'of the car, rods connected with the ends of said shaft and flexible connect-ions between said rods and said draft-tiinbers, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the end sill and draft-timbers of a car, of elongated bearings secured to said draft-timbers, a shaft mounted in said bearings, a link secured to the shaft, an arm projecting from the link and adapted to engage said end sill, two lugs projecting from each draft-timber, rods attached to the ends of said shaft, passing through one lug of each pair and adapted to bear at its end on the other lug of each pair, and springs encircling the rods between the lugs, substantially as set forth. 1 I

7. The combination with the end sill and the draft-timbers of a car, of a link having a pivotal connection with said draft-timbers, an arm projecting from said link and adapted to engage the rear face of the end sill, a crankarm secured directly to the ends of the journals of said link and means connected with one of said crank-arms for locking the link in a horizontal position, substantially as set orth.

8. The combination with a car,of a shaft connected with the draft-timbers thereof, a link secured to said shaft, an arm projecting from said link and adapted to engage the rear face of the end sill of the car, a crank-arm secured directly to said shaft, a rod attached to said crank-arm and extending to the top of the car, a guide through which said rod passes and a shoulder on said rod and adapted to engage said guide whereby to retain the link in a horizontal position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JACOB O. MARKS.

Witnesses:

R. S. FERGUSON, GEORGE F. DowNINa. 

